Immediately after signing LeBron James to a four-year, $154 million deal during the 2018 NBA free agency period, the Los Angeles Lakers rounded out the rest of their roster with a plethora of veterans that included JaVale McGee.
McGee, who was relegated to a bench role for the majority of his two-year stint with the Golden State Warriors, became the team’s starting center under head coach Luke Walton.
McGee brought defensive stability to the position, emerging as a key rim protector in the paint. He additionally thrived on the offensive end, finishing third among qualified NBA players with a 62.4 field goal percentage.
Now scheduled to reach free agency again, McGee recently revealed during his exit interview that he would pounce at the opportunity to re-sign with the Lakers.
“Yeah definitely,” McGee said. “The opportunity to come back would definitely be something that I’m highly interested in, but you know the NBA is a business. So you never know what can happen. You just never know.”
McGee previously stated that he wouldn’t mind re-signing with the Lakers, so his latest comments fall right in line with what has been his desire all along.
McGee enjoyed a successful first season with Los Angeles, averaging 12 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in roughly 22 minutes per contest (62 starts in 75 games).
Whether the Lakers decide to re-sign McGee will likely hinge on their ability to add another All-Star player to pair with James. With not too many options at center, the 31-year-old could end up returning for a second season.